National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1887-06-15
Sherman and the South.

EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: sen
ator Sherman has been very severely
criticised by the Democratic press both
north and south for what It terms the
"waving Of the bloody shirt" in his Spring
field speech. His heinous ofTense consists
in maintaining that the Republican party,
which gave the colored man his freedom
the right of suffrage and equality before
the law, shall not have fulfilled It's mission
until these rights are as fully assured to
him In the south as elsewhere In the coun-
try.
time the senator was delivering his speech
at Springfield, within a few hours ride OF
him, at st. Louis, debate was going on In
highly representative assembly OF south
ern men, which corroborated to the fullest
extent the tlmeliness OF the senator's argu-
ment. The general assembly of the South
ern Presbyterian Church, embracing clerical
and lay delegates from all the southern
states OF this Intelligent and influential
organization, was engaged in heated dis
cussion over a proposition to form an
organic union with the Northern Presby-
terian Church, from which 1t separated
at the beginning Of the civil war.
The proposition for o formal union
was not entertained, but the dis
cussion arose upon the proposition to ap-
point committee of conference with the
northern body to ascertain Its views upon
certain points, the most prominent OF
which was how the northern church pro-
| posed to treat the representatives OF the
| colered Presby terian churches, and
| whether they would consent to organize
them into separate presbyterles and sYnods
| or insist upon admitting their pastors and
| officers TO the same councils with the rep
| resentatives of the white churches. Tue
| latter proposition prevailed, and so CON-
| mittee of prominent diyines and laymen
is to wait upon the northern Presbyterian
church, and gravely catechise 1t upon this
| question Of negro representation in the
church Of Christ.
1t would be quite edifying to these Dem
ocratic editors, who are SO shocked at Sen
ator Sherman's speech, II they would peruse
| the utteraDces of these eminent southern
divines. For fear, however, they may not
take the trouble to enlighten themselves,
we give few choice extracts as sample
| Of tie discussion Rev. DIR. Smoot, OF
Texas, declared the northern church was
not church to be set up ut the south. The
war, he said, had split the country. After
an earthquake fissure might be found In
the valley running up to the granite
mountain. Twenty-Five years OF plowing
and sowing Of policy was covering up the
fssure. but the fssure, however, was still
there up In the granite. Rev. DR.. Vaughan,
of Virginia. while he recognized that
slavery wasdead, said we are authorized by
the Holy Scriptures to stand where we have
always stood on the slavery question. God
was the original founder of the institution
in the family Of Noah. The relations are
right, but the conditions of servitude are a
curse on oar fallen race. The leading
speech was made by Rev. Dr. Palmer, OF
New Orleans. the most distinguished divine
| In the southern Presbyterian church, and
for thirty years past be has beeu one OF the
leading minds OF the south. referring To
| tie northern Presbyterian church, the
doctor declared: "We are apart In doctrine
| we are sport in government, We are apart
| in sympathies. Let us stay apart" On the
| subject OF negro representation In the
church conventions, he said the view OF the
| northern church endangered the whole so
cial structure throughout the whole south
ern land. Ecclesiastical and spiritual rea
tions in Office draw after them social rea
tions and social equality. Tue color lin,
| is distinctly drawn by Jehovah Himself
and in such form as to make 1t sin ant
crime to undertake to obliterate II. "Sir
the instinct of self-preservation will cause
our people throughout this southland u
stand pale with apprehension wheneve
you shall do anything that seems to In
volve these issues and force them upoi
their consideration. / do not doubt th
integrity Of the men who lead the northern
church, who wish to make union and thu
open up that subject, but, sir, do no
I confide In the body OF the northern peopl
as being sufficiently free from fanaticlsm Il
be willing to put myself in their power"
When the followers Of the meek ant
lowly Nazarene are unwilling to admi
colored preachers into their churcl
councils, is 1t to be wondered at that as sool
: as the Democratic party obtained free ant
unrestricted control Of the southern states
the last remaining colored Representative
ia driven out Of Congress by fraud and In
tmidation at the elections?
And however much Democratic editor
may denounce 1t, Senator Sherman an
the Republican leaders will continue t
; maintain that so long as the ballot box l
outraged and the colored citizens denie
their rights at the south so long the Re
publican party has a mission to discharge
) II this be "waving the bloody shirt,
: they must expect 1t to wave. 80